A Day in the Blue Mountains01:11 PM on Fri 02 May 2014

If you’re planning on visiting Sydney (who isn’t?) you must visit the Blue Mountains. Probably one of the most popular Sydney day trips, the Blue Mountains are located about 90 minutes from the city. Aussie Adventures offer day tours and overnight tours from Base Backpackers in Sydney.

Our day began bright and early... 7:30am. Aussie Adventures offer small group tours so we got to know our guide and the rest of the group: Germans, English, an Austrian, French, Australians & Holland. We ventured through the funky little Sydney suburb of Glebe, checked out some big grey Kangaroos at Euroka clearing and made our way towards the Blue Mountains.

En route our guide gave us an overall picture of Sydney life, along with tips about what to do, where to go & the best pubs in town! Soon we arrived at the foot of the Blue Mountains – it was stunning. Morning Tea was had in Glenbrook before we began a 2 hour guided walk to Wentworth Falls. We followed the track through the Australian native bush as our guide pointed out Australian bird life, native flora and fauna & had us tasting leaves that oozed a sweetness favoured by Aboriginal Australians.

The walking track led us through the national park as we passed Aboriginal Rock Art and ducked and weaved through cliff faces and eucalyptus trees. We reached a look out that provided amazing views of Jamison Valley. Here we gained a real appreciation of just how big the Blue Mountains national park really is. Soon we arrived at Wentworth Falls. The waterfall towered over us. It was beautiful.

Buzzing, it was lunch time... gourmet rolls, brownies, fruit & stunning views. Eager for the next adventure we began our walk down the historic Furber Steps. The track led us to look outs that overlooked Katoomba Falls and the iconic Three Sisters. World Heritage Rainforest surrounded us, it was peaceful and it was hard to believe that this beautiful oasis was just 90 minutes from the hustle and bustle of Sydney.

As we reached the bottom of Furber Steps, we arrived at the world’s steepest scenic railway! I was not expecting this experience to be so scary! We hopped into the scenic train overlooking the valley and the Three Sisters. The scenic railway took us through a cave, through cliff faces, towering tree canopies and back to the top of Furber Steps.

After a coffee with a view, we ventured back to Sydney. It was such a fantastic day! I am a big fan of small group tours and the guide was funny & full of knowledge and interesting facts. If you have the time, I recommend choosing an overnight option with Aussie Adventures to explore more of the Blue Mountains. The YHA in Katoomba is a great, peaceful hostel and you are given the afternoon and the following morning to explore.